Billfold having an expansible pocket



Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

BILLFLD.HAVING AN EXPANSIBLE POCKET Douglas J; Broughton, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Buxton, Incorporated, Springfield, Mass a corporation:ofiMassachusetts:

Application September 2, 1949,, seminazec 2 Claims. 1-

This invention relates to an improvement in billfolds, more particularly to an expansible pocket construction for billfolds.

The principalobject of the invention is toprovide a construction and an arrangement of the parts forming a pocket which while permitting a substantial degree of expansion and contraction does not add materially to the thickness of the billfoldi The invention-isofparticular advantage int-he construct'ion' of light and thin billfo1ds, but it may be used toadvantage in larger folds of the carry-alltype.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a billfold embodying the invention,

Fig. '1 is an elevational View of the billfold in openposition;

Fig. Zisadetailed view of theouter frontwall pocket members in partially assembled position;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the intermediate wall member; I

Fig. 4- is: a detailed view showing the elements of Figs. 2 and 3 in assembled position; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed view showing the assembly of Fig. 4 in position to be incorporated with the other elements of the billfold.

Referring to the drawings, the billfold generally indicated at I is shown as comprising a rear wall member 2 provided with narrow end extensions 3 and 4 and narrow bottom extension 5. The front wall is shown as comprising end sections generally indicated at 6 and I spaced from each other and from the central fold line of the billfold indicated at 8. The end section I comprises an inner front wall member 9, two outer front wall members Ill and I I and an intermediate wall member I2. Wall members 9 and It) can obviously be formed in one piece but preferably and as shown, the outer front wall member I0 is formed with an attaching portion I3 which is stitched to the upper edge of the inner wall member 9, as at I4, and is provided with a crease line I5 about which the member It may be folded, the portion I3 forming part of the inner wall. The second outer wall member I I may also be formed integral with member 9, or have an integral connection with extension 5, but preferably and as shown is formed as a separate piece. Members I0 and II are made somewhat less in width than half the transverse width of the wall member 9-I3 so that when member II is positioned on the wall member 9 with its lower edge coinciding with the lower edge of member 9 as shown in Fig. 2, and wall member If! is folded downwardly along fold line I5 the adjacent edges of II] and I I are slightly spaced from each other, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.

Intermediatemember I2- can-beintegrally connected to extension 4* but preferably and as shown is a separate piece. Member I2 has a length slightly greater'than the over-all length of wall members 9, I0 and" II and atransversewidth slightly less than the wall member 8 plus the portion I3 above theattaching portion I4. Preferably member I2 is formed of slightly stiffer leather than members III' and II or isreenforced to give it additional stiffness. The intermediate wallmember I2 is-providedadjacent its outer end with an arcuate slot I 11. 'The W331i members I 5" and II are cut back from their end edg'es as-at I8 and I 9 to form tongues wand 21.

The intermediate wall member I2 is. inserted between the outer walk-members I0 .and II; and the inner wall" member-1e as showni'n Fig- 4', and. the tongues 20 and Z-I: which when theparts-are assembled extend from the adjacent outer end: corners .of members- I'Il: andi'I I. are insertedithrough the-slotv I 'l as:shown;inztheglatter figure; Theassembly of the inner, outer and intermediate wall members, as shown in Fig. 4, is positioned against the end section of the rear wall member 2 as shown in Fig. 5, and the end extension A of the rear wall member is folded over on the end edge portion of the inner wall member 9, intermediate wall member I2 and the ends of the tongues 25 and 2|, while the edge extension 5 is folded over on the lower edge portions of members 9 and I I. A line of stitching 22 is run through the folded over extensions 4 and 5 and the various parts underlying said extensions to secure the parts together.

The end section 6 may be formed in a similar manner as desired, but as shown is constructed by folding over a single piece of material along a line 23 to form inner and outer wall portions 24 and 25, the latter portion being provided with a window opening 26 closed in the usual manner by a transparent window 21. The outer end edge portions of the walls 24 and 25 are inserted beneath the overfolded end extension 3 of the adjacent rear wall portion, and the bottom edge of members 24 and 25, or of member 25 at least, is inserted beneath the bottom extension 5, to be included in the line of stitching 22.

A bridging member 28 has one end portion inserted between the wall members 24-25 and the other end portion inserted between the rear wall member 9 and the intermediate wall member I2. The end portions of the bridging member 28 may be interlocked or otherwise secured to the wall members 24 and 9 respectively in any suitable manner not shown.

By the construction above described a pocket capacity is also provided between members What I claim is:

1. In a billfold having front and rear wall members, said front wall member comprising spaced end sections, at least one of said sections including an inner wall member connected at its outer end to the adjacent end of the rear wall and connected at its bottom to the bottom of the rear wall, an intermediate wall member overlying said inner wall member and connected at its outer end only to the adjacent end of the rear wall, an outer wall member connected at its top to the top of the inner wall and extending downwardly partway over the intermediate wall, a second outer wall member connected at its bottom to the bottom of the rear wall and extending upwardly partway over the intermediate wall, means connecting the adjacent outer corners of said outer wall members to the adjacent end of the rear wall, and a bridging member extending between said sections, one end of said bridging member extending between the inner wall memher and the intermediate member. p

2. In a billfold having front and rear wall members, said front Wall member comprising spaced end sections, at least one of said sections including an inner, an intermediate and two outer wall members, the intermediate member being connected to and extending inwardly from the end of the rear wall member over the inner wall member, one of said outer wall members being connected to and extending downwardly from the upper edge of the inner wall member partway over the intermediate member, the other of said outer wall members being connected to and extending upwardly from the lower edge of the rear wall member partway over the intermediate member, tongues extending from the adjacent outer end corners of the outer wall members, said intermediate member being formed with a transverse slot, closely adjacent its outer end, through which said tongues extend, means to hold said tongues in said slot, and a bridging member extending between said sections, one end of said bridging member extending between the inner wall member and said intermediate wall member.

DOUGLAS J. BROUGHTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain June 30, 1902 

